TRANSPORTATION
Public transit drives economic opportunity
It’s hard to believe that someone such as Bob Dallas would recommend a private solution for transit in Clayton County (“Clayton County can turn things around,” Opinion, Aug. 27). If there was a private solution, it would be operating by now.
The fact people just don’t seem to get is that public transit is public. They don’t call it private transit — but if they did, it would only go to areas where people had the money to support it. It wouldn’t go to where it was needed, and the poor would be shut out.
Public transit contributes in so many more ways other than the fare box. It creates development opportunity. As he’s from the Dunwoody area, one would think Mr. Dallas would realize what kind of growth the MARTA stops in the area have made possible. Studies have also shown that public transit availability aids upward mobility.
The residents overwhelmingly want MARTA. Why not listen to them for a change?
SCOTT PRESSMAN, ATLANTA
IMPEACHMENT
Why give coverage to baseless vitriol?
While reading the Aug. 25 AJC, I learned something I didn’t know: Michigan has a freshman congressman named Kerry Bentivolio. Did I learn this because Rep. Bentivolio sponsored legislation to create jobs or reform immigration? No. Rep. Bentivolio was featured not because of any accomplishment, but because of his outrageous statements about impeaching our president (“Obama impeachment talk surfaces,” News, and “Impeach Obama? Maybe lawmakers should leave,” Opinion).
Although he has no grounds or evidence for any charges that constitute “high crimes and misdemeanors,” Rep. Bentivolio still gets prime coverage for his baseless remarks — which is probably all he really wanted.
Why, when our nation is facing some very real and important issues, does the AJC and other media outlets provide print and air time to individuals such as Bentivolio — who have nothing to add to our national discourse except vitriol?
ROBERT SCHWARTZ, DUNWOODY
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Jurors should have heard murder charge
The DeKalb County district attorney who pushed to drop the murder charge against Andrea Sneiderman should be reminded that his personal win/loss record as district attorney has absolutely no significance to the people of DeKalb and the state of Georgia, who he was elected to represent.
I believe he certainly had enough evidence to allow a jury decide the murder charge. His failure to do so means that he effectively decided the guilt or innocence of Sneiderman — clearly something outside the scope of the public trust invested in him by the citizens of DeKalb County.
ABE SHARONY, ATLANTA
POLITICS
Choose candidates dedicated to service
As we’ve evolved from a “we society” to a “me society,” our values have changed. We continuously attack and condemn those less fortunate and label them “takers” — and we glorify the so-called “haves” and label them “makers.” At all levels of our society, greed has overtaken shame as a motivator.
A better solution to combating political corruption is to do a better job vetting those who run for public office. From national office to school board, the operative word in public service should be “service.” Those who seek to make it anything else should apply elsewhere.
RONALD D. JOHNSON, AUSTELL
